Question
The Ontario government has received a proposal to construct a new 16-kilometer highway segment, designed to enhance connectivity for residents in a remote area of
The Ontario government has received a proposal to construct a new 16-kilometer highway segment, designed to enhance connectivity for residents in a remote area of Northern Ontario. Initially, the proposal included the establishment of seven toll booths, each staffed by a unionized employee. However, a revised proposal suggests replacing the human workforce with AI-powered machines. This proposal, though technologically forward, involves several considerations. One of the critical concerns the government has is understanding how replacing human toll booth operators with machines would affect the overall time drivers spend in the toll system.
Under the current proposal, drivers are expected to arrive at each toll booth at a rate of 10 per minute. With human-operated exact-change lanes, the service time is consistently constant at five seconds per driver. However, with the AI-powered machines, even though the average service time remains five seconds, it follows an exponential distribution due to the time required by machines to process payments.
Your task is to contrast the two systems for a single lane by calculating the following metrics:
1. The average number of drivers waiting to pay. 2. The total number of drivers present at a single toll booth on average. 3. The average time drivers spend waiting to pay. 4. The total average time drivers spend at any one toll booth.
Based on these metrics, provide a recommendation to the government regarding the system that is expected to perform better overall. Please make sure to explain your reasoning for your recommendation.
Note: Please ensure you provide details for each step of your calculation using the appropriate queuing model and also provide results from a Queuing Calculator for verification (if the corresponding model exist in Queuing Calculator).
Step by Step Solution
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
Step: 3
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started